


The Strings of Fate

by Mrs_HiroC



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angels, Demons, F/M, Fluffy Romance, Friendship/Love, Romance, Sexual Tension, Supernatural Elements, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-07-11 23:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7074940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrs_HiroC/pseuds/Mrs_HiroC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waking up in the past was not their plan when they decided to recite some poetry from their great grandfather's journal. Trapped in Victorian England, they become involved with the Queen's Watchdog and his mysterious butler. A game of trust and seduction begins and no one knows who is player or pawn. There are no rules and the cards have been dealt. NON-YAOI SEBASTIANXOC CIELXOC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Sunlight through drawn curtains shined into the salon. Wind gently blew through the open windows to offer a cool breeze for the two occupants of the room. Both wore the proper garbs of fencing along with the protective mask and each held an épée in the respective hand. They readied their weapons and, with a nod, the training session began. The taller of the two moved first with an advance followed by a lunge. The other parried with a side step and countered with a riposte.

The movement was continuous and easygoing. The taller of the two held a graceful form whilst the other retained spunk in movement. It appeared as if their skills were nearly equal. One, however, could never be too sure with that assumption. In the end, the taller one was left standing in victory. Setting the épée down, the victor moved to the other who sat on the floor a few yards away.

The protective mask fell away to reveal a young woman's sweaty face. Wet strands of chestnut hair plastered to her temple and forehead while some fell into her almond-shaped hazel eyes. She smiled as she knelt down by her partner and held out her hand.

"Are you sure you've been practicing your fencing?" she jested.

Her partner sighed and took hold of her offered hand. A tug on her hand sent her flying over her partner and she gasped as she landed on her back with the air knocked out of her. Her partner flipped back onto her and held her down with an arm lodged against her throat. Her partner removed the protective mask to reveal the equally sweaty face of a young girl with auburn hair that fell into almond-shaped hazel eyes identical to her own.

"What were you saying again, Giselle?" the girl asked as a smug smirk played across her lips.

Giselle sighed as she laid her head back.

"This isn't fair, Lydia," she reasoned. "You aren't fencing anymore."

Lydia laughed as she removed herself and helped Giselle stand.

"Don't be a sore loser," she replied to which Giselle rolled her eyes.

The salon doors opened as an Asian woman entered the room. Despite her petite form, her presence was of one who clearly demanded respect. Her black hair tied back in a perfectly tight bun was one of many examples that proved her need for cleanliness. Her expression was stern as she approached the girls. Her brown eyes—identical in shape to the girls—roved over their sweaty forms.

"Your father will be home soon," she announced and her expression softened. "I suggest you girls freshen up before joining us for supper."

"Yes, Mother," the girls replied.

With a smile, the woman excused herself from the room.

"Father hasn't been home to have supper with us for some time now," Giselle noted as she gathered the equipment.

"That's true," Lydia commented as she helped.

"It will be nice to have him present today."

"Uh-huh."

Giselle paused in putting her épée away as she looked at her sister.

"Is something wrong, Lydia?"

"It's nothing; I'm going to go clean up first."

Giselle nodded and watched as Lydia departed from the salon.

*/*\\*

Entering her bedchamber, Lydia stripped out of her fencing gear and headed to her adjoining bathroom. Although she wanted to lounge longer in the bath, she knew she didn't have the time and showered instead. As she stepped back into her room, she heard the door click shut and saw her supper outfit laid out on the bed for her. She smiled as she dressed, reveling in how her maid knew her so well as to pick out the correct clothes for her.

The cropped pants were black and she figured it would be acceptable for her mother. After all, she wasn't exposing a large expanse of her legs. The sleeves of her blue blouse were mid-length and the pleasant neckline covered what had to be covered. All in all, Lydia thought it would suffice for supper with her parents. Once fully dressed, she hastily swept her hair up into a messy ponytail and nodded with approval.

"Mother may disapprove," she commented as she looked over her form. "But I don't care."

With a grin, she childishly stuck her tongue out at her reflection before departing from her room.

*/*\\*

"Your hair has grown really long, Miss Giselle," the maid announced as she brushed Giselle's hair.

"It has," Giselle agreed. "I thought of cutting it but I can't seem to rid my attachment. I'm certain Mother would be horrified as well."

The maid chuckled knowingly.

"Yes, I can see that," she replied. "The Marchioness loves your hair after all." She ran the brush through Giselle's hair a final time. "Shall I braid your hair for supper, milady?"

"Yes, Bridget," Giselle replied with a smile.

Bridget nodded as she proceeded with her new task at hand. Giselle watched as the maid took sufficient time to braid her hair despite its length. Once done, Bridget pinned the braid up in a bun and stepped back to allow Giselle to examine her work. Giselle smiled with approval as she stood.

"Good work, Bridget," she praised. "You may leave the rest to me."

Bridget nodded and left after curtsying.

Giselle examined her hair a final time before she slipped into the dress Bridget had picked out. The sleeves were ruffled and covered her shoulders while the neckline was decent, revealing only the top of her collarbones. The dress was full body and the hem brushed lightly at her toes. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the vermilion color brought out the brown of her eyes. She smiled approvingly as she smoothed out the dress. Slipping into her shoes, she made one final look over before departing from her room.

*/*\\*

The girls met outside the doors of the dining hall and Giselle smiled as she looked over Lydia's choice of dress.

"Will you ever wear a dress for Father, Lydia?" she asked.

"The only time I will ever wear a dress for Mother and Father is when I get married," Lydia answered with a cheeky grin.

Giselle sighed but her smile never left her lips. The girls entered the dining hall to see their parents—Lord and Lady Hastings—already settled at the dining table: their father at one end and their mother to his right. Giselle sat on his other side while Lydia sat on the other side of their mother.

"Good evening, girls," he greeted.

The girls greeted their father as the meal was served and the family silently enjoyed their meal.

"I have a something I'd like to say," Lord Hastings announced once the plates were cleared away.

Lady Hastings, Giselle, and Lydia turned their attention to the head of the table.

"Lydia, you recently turned seventeen," he noted. "Perhaps, it's time for you to join the London Season."

"London Season?" Lydia questioned.

"Yes, I've heard there are a few eligible bachelors looking for a wife this year," he stated. "Perhaps, you might find someone to your liking."

"But…I don't want to marry, Father," Lydia countered.

"Well, you may not be ready for marriage just yet," he replied. "I believe it would be beneficial for you to meet your prospective suitors, though."

"I don't think so," Lydia commented with a shake of her head. "What about Giselle? Will she be joining again with me?"

Lord Hastings shook his head.

"A suitor has already come forward to ask for Giselle's hand in marriage," he said. "I am certain she'll be busy with wedding preparations."

Lady Hastings—as well as Giselle—was taken by surprise.

"You mean Giselle has received a proposal?" she asked and smiled happily at Giselle when Lord Hastings nodded. "Oh, isn't that wonderful news, Giselle?"

Giselle could only bring a small smile to her lips as she nodded.

"Yes, Mother," she replied happily even though she didn't feel so.

*/*\\*

Sitting at her vanity, Lydia stared at her hairbrush until she heard a knock at her door. She turned just as her mother entered. Lady Hastings smiled warmly as she closed the door and approached the younger girl. Lydia sighed and faced her mirror with a huff. Lady Hastings laid her hands on the girl's shoulders and gave a squeeze of comfort.

"Come, darling," she cooed. "What bothers you so?"

"I don't understand why Father wants me to join the London Season this year," Lydia replied. "I'm only seventeen; I'm not ready for marriage. You know that yourself, Mother."

Lady Hastings nodded as she took the hairbrush and began combing through Lydia's hair as if to keep busy.

"Your father just wants to make sure you have a secured future, love," she explained. "He worries about you because you always seem to have your head in the clouds. Running through the fields, playing around with the servants, and all those other unladylike activities you love to do." She laid her hands upon Lydia's shoulders once more. "You may not realize it but you can't always run through the fields without a care in the world, Lydia. There will be a time when you have to accept your birthright and become the mistress of your own manor."

"I know," Lydia said. "It's just…Father never pushed Giselle to join the London Season. He waited until she asked to join." She locked eyes with Lady Hastings via the mirror and frowned. "Sometimes…I feel Father loves Giselle more than he loves me."

Lady Hastings stopped brushing, leaving the brush halfway through Lydia's hair.

"You shouldn't say that, Lydia," she chided. "Your father loves the both of you equally."

With a sigh, Lydia reached for her hairbrush and removed it from her mother's hold. She placed the brush away and stood to hug the woman. Lady Hastings hummed soothingly as she wrapped her arms around Lydia's shoulders. Lydia tightened the embrace and buried her face into the woman's shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of her mother.

"Maybe I _am_ just thinking too much," Lydia announced and pulled away with a smile. "Thank you for brushing my hair, Mother. I like it best when you do it."

Lady Hastings smiled and chuckled as she cupped Lydia's cheeks.

"Then, I will always brush your hair for you," she noted.

"Even after I get married?" Lydia asked.

Lady Hastings laughed but shook her head.

"Silly girl," she replied. "By then, you would not want me to brush your hair anymore."

Lydia laughed.

"Perhaps not," she stated thoughtfully; then, yawned. "I'm sorry, Mother."

Lady Hastings shook her head and smiled as she patted Lydia's head.

"You are tired, dear," she said. "I'll leave you to sleep now."

"Good night, Mother," Lydia bid as she watched her mother depart.

"Good night, dear," Lady Hastings replied before she shut the door.

Lydia turned off the main light and tucked herself into bed. Just as she slipped deeper under the sheets, she heard a knock at the door. She sat up as Giselle entered. The older woman smiled as she closed the door. Lydia scooted over to make room and Giselle joined her. They faced each other and Lydia could tell Giselle had a lot on her mind.

"What's wrong, Giselle?"

The older woman shook her head.

"Nothing, really…"

"Are you sure?"

Giselle sighed.

"Well…it's just…I'm not sure what to think of this new suitor."

"Giselle…you don't have to agree to this marriage if you don't want to."

Lydia reached over and took hold of Giselle's hand, giving it a squeeze. She received an answering squeeze and saw Giselle's melancholic smile.

"I know," Giselle whispered. "I just don't want to disappoint Father any more than I already have."

"You still don't let that get to you, do you?"

Giselle sighed and hesitantly nodded.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Giselle; you were young and didn't know anything. Anyone could've been tricked by someone like that."

Lydia was stopped by Giselle's soft laughter.

"How is it that you're giving me advice when I'm the older sister?" Giselle asked.

"I don't know," Lydia replied with shrug. "Maybe I'm secretly more mature?"

Giselle rolled her eyes at Lydia's cheeky grin.

"Oh you!" Giselle reprimanded but laughed.

Lydia laughed as well before regaining a serious expression.

"I'm serious, though, Giselle," she said. "If you don't want to marry that man, just tell Father. I'm sure he'll listen to your reasoning."

"He'll be disappointed." Giselle shook her head. "I couldn't do that to him…not when he already forgave me for my mistake. I couldn't possibly hurt him again."

"But, Giselle…"

"It's the least I can do for Father," Giselle insisted. "He took me in and brought me up like his own daughter. The least I can do to repay him is to marry the man he selects for me."

"Giselle…"

Giselle smiled more cheerily although the melancholy never disappeared.

"Don't sound like I'm going to the executioner, Lydia," she stated. "I'm only getting married." Giselle moved closer to snuggle with Lydia. "When I get married, you can come visit me."

Lydia recognized her sister's subtle plea and swallowed back the envy she'd previously felt for the older woman not too long ago. With a nod, she plastered on a smile and snuggled closer to Giselle.

"You bet," she answered. "I'll come and bother you until you don't want me to visit anymore!"

"I doubt that," Giselle replied. "You could never bother me to that extent."

"Oh yeah?" Lydia questioned. "How about this?"

Lydia vehemently attacked Giselle's sides in an attempt to tickle the older woman. Giselle's laugh echoed through the chamber and she pulled away to hiss out a disapproval. She warned that they'd be caught but Lydia continued. Eventually, Giselle found the energy to return her own assault. Lydia's laughter echoed with Giselle's and they giggled late into the night until they finally collapsed with exhaustion.

  
\-----

  


Author's Note: This is a story that my sister and I have already posted up on Fanfiction.net but we haven't been gaining as much traffic as we'd like so we decided to post up a chapter here to see if we'll receive more lovely readers! XD I know it's our fault as well as we've been busy and have been unable to update on a more timely manner but please do not give up on us! We are still alive and here! Feedbacks and reviews are welcome~!

If you would like to read more, please copy and paste the link below into your search bar! Thank you! ^ ^

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9061928/1/The-Strings-of-Fate


	2. A Five-Pointed Star

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of The Strings of Fate is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

\---

"I do not understand why you two still sleep together," Lady Hastings commented with a shake of her head.

The following morning, Lydia's maid had entered to see the two girls together. Apparently believing the sight to be so endearing, she had mentioned the details to fellow servants. Lady Hastings received word of the whisperings and was quick to reprimand the girls. They were currently having mid-afternoon tea.

"I just wanted to sleep with Lydia last night, Mother," Giselle explained with a smile. "What is wrong with that?"

"Aside from your age?" Lydia countered as she placed her teacup. "Shouldn't it be the other way around, Giselle?"

Giselle scrunched her nose at Lydia who smiled mischievously. Lady Hastings laughed at her daughters' expressions and continued shaking her head.

"What will I do with you two?" she questioned more herself than the two.

"Who knows, Mother," Lydia answered with a shrug.

Lady Hastings sighed but remained smiling as she sipped her tea. Giselle glanced at the clock to see it was time for their ballroom lessons. She set her cup down and stood to dismiss herself.

"Our lessons will begin soon, Lydia," she announced and curtseyed to her mother. "Mother, do please excuse us."

Lady Hastings nodded and the girls departed from the parlor.

*/*\\*

"You both did well today," the dance instructor praised. "Until next week, ladies."

The girls curtseyed as the man departed and Lydia slumped into the nearest chair with a loud sigh of relief.

"I don't see why ballroom dancing is so important," she commented. "There is no need for such boring lessons."

"Remember, Lydia," Giselle reprimanded in a teasing tone. "You have to keep up with your ballroom lessons…especially if you want to keep going to your sparring lessons." She pulled up a chair and joined Lydia. "I personally had to compromise with Father so he'd let you take those sparring lessons."

"I know, I know," Lydia noted. "I really do appreciate you doing that for me."

Giselle smiled and looked at the clock to see they still had time before supper.

"Shall we go shopping?" she suggested.

"Sure, why not," Lydia replied as she stood. "Anything to get out of the manor for a bit."

Giselle chuckled as she stood and replaced the chairs.

"Let's get going then."

*/*\\*

Giselle and Lydia walked along the riverside as they browsed through the many vendors who'd come out for the daily flea market. Giselle bought a new sunhat while Lydia bought a new pair of jeans. As they continued browsing, one particular vendor of antiques caught their attention. The elderly woman had jewelry stands where many "claimed heirlooms" hung from and there were more to view in the back of her tent. Interest piqued, the girls headed inside to see if they'd find anything to buy.

"Look at this, Giselle," Lydia called as she reached for one particular ring.

Giselle joined her sister's side to see what had caught her sister's attention. The ring had an ornate silver piece that held an emerald-cut deep blue stone. Giselle wondered if it was a sapphire. Lydia traced the jewel with her thumb and seemed to be in a daze as she examined it closely. Giselle smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"If you like it that much, why don't you buy it?" she suggested.

As if brought out of a daze, Lydia looked at her before shaking her head.

"I don't know," she said hesitantly. "I'm not a jewelry person."

As Lydia moved to put the ring back, Giselle pushed the jewel back into her hand.

"I've never seen you so immersed by a ring before," she noted. "I'll buy it for you."

"Are you sure?" Lydia questioned. "I can buy it myself."

"It's all right," Giselle replied with a smile. "Consider it a belated birthday gift."

"But—"

"I insist," the older woman urged and went to pay the vendor owner.

Lydia followed after her and the elderly woman smiled when she saw the ring.

"A lovely choice, milady," she commented as she counted change for Giselle.

"You think so?" Lydia asked as she looked over the ring again.

The elderly woman nodded.

"That ring once belonged to a powerful noble family during the Victorian era," she announced. "They were often referred to as the 'Evil Noblemen' because they were tasked with eliminating anything that worried the Queen of that time by any means necessary. Thus, they were also called the 'Queen's Watchdogs'."

"How interesting," Giselle noted. "Do you know if that family still exists now?"

"Unfortunately, no," the woman replied with a shake of her head. "It is believed that the Phantomhive bloodline died out when the last head of the family disappeared. Such a tragedy, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed," Giselle agreed with a nod.

The elderly woman looked at Lydia who was still examining the ring. Then, she smiled and bent down to search for something beneath the table. The girls watched in wonder until she straightened again with a cloth in her possession. She looked at Giselle with a warm smile.

"There's also this pendant that came with the ring when I first bought it," she announced as she unwrapped the cloth. "Unfortunately, none of the customers ever really want to buy it. Therefore, I stopped hanging the pendant with the ring."

The woman pulled up the pendant by its chain and Giselle immediately knew why no one wanted to purchase the charm. The shape—a five-pointed star in a circle within a circle of thorns—was upside down with the star's single point projecting downward. Giselle was familiar with the significant meaning behind the symbolic positioning of the five-pointed star—better known as a pentagram. A symbol of the invocation of Satan and what the Christian religion considered as evil. No one would want to be caught wearing something like that.

"Since you purchased the ring, I believe it best if you received this as well," the woman stated as she held out the pendant.

"Ah well," Lydia started and paused in an attempt to reject politely. "You see…I just wanted to have the ring."

"It's free of charge," the woman insisted. "I have this feeling that those two pieces of jewelry should never part."

"Well…" Giselle said hesitantly. "I suppose if you say it like that, we can take it then."

She held out her hand for the pendant and the woman placed the charm into her hand after rewrapping it.

"Thank you for stepping in today, milady," the woman bid with a smile and bowed.

"Have a nice day, madam," Giselle replied with her own curtsey before leaving.

Lydia leaned in close as they walked away from the tent.

"You didn't have to take that old thing," she said apologetically.

"It's fine," Giselle replied as she placed the wrapped pendant into her purse. "I found the symbol interesting so I decided 'why not' if it's free."

Lydia smiled.

"That's how you've always been," she commented.

Giselle chuckled.

"I suppose so," she agreed.

Giselle stopped when she saw Lydia had stopped walking and turned back to the younger girl to see what was wrong. She followed Lydia's gaze and felt a lump of displeasure rise in her throat when she saw the young couple several yards away. She immediately recognized them as Lydia's friends—at least once upon a time. She wasn't sure of the story behind the three of them but she did remember Lydia's heartbreak from not too long ago. Looking back at the other girl, she could see that Lydia still had trouble forgetting whatever had happened.

"Lydia?" she called as she laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Lydia locked eyes with her.

"Y-yeah…" she whispered.

"Come, let's go home," Giselle urged as she ushered the girl to turn away.

"Vince, isn't that Lydia?"

Lydia paused and Giselle looked at her to see the girl's pained expression.

"Where, Alex?"

"Over there; how strange, I don't think I've ever seen her in such fine clothes."

"Indeed; I almost forgot she was of noble blood."

The couple's laughter grated on Giselle's nerves and she turned to confront them. Lydia's hand on her arm stopped her and she looked back at the girl. Lydia shook her head even as her eyes became teary. Giselle felt her heart clench with pain but abided her sister's silent plea. Squeezing Lydia's hand, Giselle ushered her in the direction of home.

"Lydia, won't you even greet your friends?"

Again, Lydia paused and Giselle had to bite her inner lip to stop any venomous words from slipping. She watched as Lydia plastered on a smile and turned to greet the couple.

"Alex, Vince," she greeted. "How nice to see you two again; it's been a while."

"It sure has, Lydia," the girl replied with a smile that Giselle didn't like. "How long were you going to keep away?"

"I'm sorry," Lydia said. "Things have been busy for my family so I haven't been able to leave."

"Is that so?" Vince questioned. "I swear I saw you by yourself at the lake just a few days ago."

"Oh? That was…" Lydia trailed off as she looked away.

"If I'm certain, you appeared to be wallowing in self-pity," Vince added.

Giselle clenched her jaw with irritation at Vince's smile of obvious satisfaction. This commoner…

"Perhaps, she was," Alex noted matter-of-factly with a laugh. "After all, you did play her like the—"

Vision blurred by rage, Giselle almost didn't realize what had happened. She looked at Alex and Vince to see they were both as surprised as she felt. She turned her attention to Lydia to see her sister was breathing hard. Then, she noticed how Alex held a hand to her own cheek. Feeling satisfied enough, she stepped forward and laid hands on Lydia's shoulders.

"I believe it best if you both refrain from appearing before us again," Giselle warned.

With those final words, she turned Lydia around and led her away from the couple.

*/*\\*

No sooner did they arrive home did their father call them into his study and the girls knew they were in trouble.

"Father, please let me explain," Giselle insisted as she entered the study first.

Lord Hastings held up his hand to stop her from further explanation.

"There is no need," he stated. "I have been informed of what happened and already dealt with the issue." He sighed. "Lydia…how many times have I told you?"

"I know, Father," Lydia replied. "It was my fault; I will return to my room to think over what I have done."

"Lydia…" Giselle called as the younger exited from the room. "Father…it wasn't her fault."

"You must stop treating her like a child, Giselle," Lord Hastings reprimanded with a sigh of exasperation. "She needs to grow up and take responsibility for her own actions. Why can't you understand that?"

"I do, Father," Giselle said. "It's just…I believe you don't put enough faith into Lydia. Sometimes, I believe it's you who still treats her like a child."

Lord Hastings sighed and chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Perhaps," he agreed. "I believe we are all guilty of that."

Giselle smiled as she nodded in sentimental agreement.

"She is already grown up and I believe we just refuse to notice, Father," she suggested.

"Perhaps," Lord Hastings replied and sighed. "Well, I suppose I need to sit and talk with her soon."

"Indeed," Giselle said. "If I may, Father, I will leave you to your business."

"See you at supper," Lord Hastings bid in farewell.

"And, Father…" Giselle stopped at the door to look back at him. "I apologize for what happened today."

"It was nothing, Giselle; you need not worry."

Lord Hastings smiled. Giselle nodded before she curtseyed and departed from the study.

*/*\\*

Lydia hurried to her room and plopped onto her bed. She told herself she wouldn't cry and repeated the command to herself in hopes of actually following through with it. In the end, the command failed as her vision blurred and her throat choked up. Sitting up, she viciously wiped at her eyes and sniffed back the remaining tears. With a sigh, she clutched her pillow closely and buried her face as she allowed herself to cry.

That jerk…

Several minutes later, she heard a knock at her door and silenced herself when she heard Giselle's voice. Desiring to be alone, she positioned herself into a sleeping position. She heard the door open and feigned sleeping in hopes Giselle would leave. After a few minutes, she felt the bed shift beneath added weight. Then, she felt Giselle's hand patting her head and wondered what the older woman was up to. Just as she would've faced the woman to interrogate her, she paused when Giselle spoke.

"I'm sorry, Lydia," Giselle whispered apologetically. "So sorry…"

Confused, Lydia wondered what Giselle could've possibly been apologizing for but never moved to ask her older sister for an explanation.

*/*\\*

Giselle smiled as she looked through an old photo album of when she and Lydia were younger. With nothing much to do, she had decided to look over old memories up in the manor's attic. She was looking at a particular picture of the two of them at the beach. She remembered that day like it was just yesterday. The temperatures had reached a record high that day and—as their father suggested—the entire family had gone for a swim.

Setting aside the album, she searched for something else to look through. She paused when something in the far corner caught her eye. A closer examination revealed an antique wooden box red in color with Chinese gold carvings. It was rectangular in shape and stood on four small legs. On both sides, there were buttons that opened the box when she pressed them. Inside she found Chinese silk robes and a journal amongst the clothes.

Curious, she retrieved the book and read the name written on the inside cover: Lau. Remembering her mother mention a great grandfather by the same name, Giselle assumed the journal belonged to him. Flipping through the pages, she paused when she came across a drawing. It wasn't the drawing itself that caught her attention but rather what the drawing was. A five-pointed star in a circle within a circle of thorns with the star's single point projecting downward and Giselle remembered the pendant given to her earlier. With the identical designs, she wondered if it was coincidence…or if something else was at play?

Author's Note: Has it become a bit more interesting? Just one more chapter and the true eye candy of the story will finally make an appearance. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Poetry?

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of The Strings of Fate is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

\---

Knocking twice on Giselle's door, Lydia entered her sister's bedchamber to find the older woman lounging on her bed with the journal of their supposed great grandfather. She went to join her and Giselle scooted over to allow her room. Upon closer examination, Lydia saw Giselle had already read through a good amount of the journal. They sat like that in silence except for the sound of the crinkling papers when Giselle turned the page.

"What does he write about?" she asked.

"The earliest entry talks about how he was a servant for a noble family," Giselle answered as she shut the book and set it aside. "The following entries mention running away with another servant when he tried to protect her from their master. They were taken in by a different noble family and he was taught everything he needed to know. Apparently, the man was very successful in the trading industry. Later on, Great Grandfather actually became president of the British Branch of the Chinese trading company and—you won't believe it—but he was a friend of the Phantomhive family."

"As in the noble family that one vendor was talking about the other day?" Lydia questioned.

Giselle nodded and Lydia could tell her sister was thoroughly intrigued.

"The last head of the Phantomhive family was called Ciel. Great Grandfather wrote about how he had one extremely loyal butler who went everywhere the Earl went. His name was Sebastian Michaelis. Great Grandfather specifically wrote that he suspected this Michaelis butler was someone much more than he appeared to be."

"Why did he think that?"

"From one particular entry, Great Grandfather made it seem like the butler was just able to do anything and everything as if it was nothing. In my opinion, he could've just been a multi-talented man."

"Indeed," Lydia noted with a nod of her head. "It sounds like Great Grandfather met a fair share of interesting people during his time."

Giselle nodded and looked at the clock.

"It looks like we'll have to come back later to read more of Great Grandfather's journal," she noted. "Music lessons will begin soon."

"We'd best go before our tutor has a fit," Lydia suggested with a smile.

Giselle nodded and the girls headed to the salon.

*/*\\*

"You are improving with the guzheng, Lydia," Giselle noted with praise as she helped Lydia push the Chinese harp into its rightful storage.

Lydia smiled.

"Thank you," she replied. "Hopefully, I can play just as lovely as you play the pipa someday."

"I still need more practice," Giselle said. "I'm more confident playing the cello."

"That's because you've already mastered the cello," Lydia countered. "Just as I have mastered my instrument, I feel more confident playing the piano too."

"I suppose we both need to practice more then," Giselle commented.

Lydia nodded and faced her sister after closing the storage door.

"Practice makes perfect," she stated. "Or so Mother loves to say."

Their conversation was interrupted by Giselle's maid—Bridget—who entered the salon after knocking twice.

"Pardon the intrusion, miladies," she said with a curtsey. "Miss Giselle, your guests have arrived."

"Ah yes, I almost forgot," Giselle replied. "Mrs. Williams is supposed to visit with Mrs. Andrews."

Bridget nodded.

"Miss Mary is here as well, milady," she added. "They have been situated in the east parlor already."

"Thank you, Bridget," Giselle said and faced Lydia. "Would you like to join us for tea, Lydia?"

Lydia wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"I'm not going to sit through tea with the Vulture Trio," she noted with distaste. "You know how much I don't like to be around them. They always find a way to make fun of us…especially Mary."

"Haven't I told you to stop calling them that?" Giselle questioned. "Mrs. Williams and her sister are elderly women who just tend to see a different side of us. And Mary isn't all that bad."

"You know that isn't true, Giselle," Lydia countered. "They love to swoop on the most current scandals of all sorts and tear the involved to bits. I wish you would stop accepting their visits especially when all they ever want to do is bring up your incident."

The evident tightening of Giselle's form made Lydia stop spewing anymore venomous words. She bit the inside of her cheek as punishment for bringing up the incident herself.

"It'll be fine," Giselle urged but Lydia felt her sister was—more so—trying to convince herself. "It's not like they can help it. Besides, all of society can't seem to get over that incident."

"Well, I don't like it!" Lydia exclaimed. "You might be able to sit through their crap but I can't. Who knows what I may do if I have to sit through another session of their excessive taunts and jabs."

Lydia was getting mad just thinking about the last time the Vulture Trio had paid a visit to the Winchester Manor. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked at Giselle. The older woman was obviously distressed as well. Lydia would never understand how her sister had the patience to sit through someone's continuous poking and taunting of her.

"I suppose I will just have to leave you to your own devise then," Giselle announced.

"I'm more worried for you," Lydia replied with a hesitant expression.

"Oh hush," Giselle countered and turned to leave. "I'll be fine."

"Good luck," Lydia called.

Giselle glanced back at her with a look of disapproval. She responded with a cheeky grin and waved. The older shook her head and waved before departing from the salon. Lydia's grin faded into a line of worry and she hoped Giselle would be all right by herself. The Vulture Trio were brutal in their insistent gossip of others and—because Giselle still hadn't gotten over her incident—Lydia knew her sister wouldn't be able to handle their ridicule.

*/*\\*

Mrs. Williams was a plump woman in her mid-fifties with a head of silver-gray hair tied back into a severe bun. One would think she wore her entire collection of jewelry with all the rings on her stubby fingers and the many necklaces dangling around what would've been her neck. Her light blue eyes twinkled with cheery demeanor as she turned her head at Giselle's entrance. She gave a nod of acknowledgement as her lips curved into a joyful smile. Giselle curtseyed in greeting and turned to greet the other two visitors.

No one would believe that Mrs. Andrews was the younger twin sister of Mrs. Williams. Just as Mrs. Williams was plump, her sister was thin with a slim figure and appeared frail with the lack of lively luster on her cheeks. Despite that notion, her light blue eyes—identical to Mrs. Williams' own and proof of their shared heritage—bore tough scrutiny that would make any established person doubt his worth. Her hair—just as silver-gray as Mrs. Williams—was pinned back into an intricate hairstyle giving the notion that she kept up with the current fashion trend despite her age. She nodded to Giselle but didn't smile.

"Thank you for calling today, Mrs. Williams," Giselle greeted. "Mrs. Andrews. Miss Mary."

"Of course, my dear," Mrs. Williams replied. "Why wouldn't we call on you?"

"You are such an interesting character after all," Mary noted and giggled as if she had told a joke.

At eighteen, Mary was the eldest of three children for the Williams' family. She possessed the same light blue eyes as her mother and a head full of thick dark brown hair that Giselle knew the young woman was most proud of. The tresses were pulled back into a long braid while a few strands teased her eyebrows. She was gifted with a slim figure that looked outstanding in the orange summer dress she'd chosen to wear. Plump lips were curved into a smile when she stopped laughing and her face—considered beautiful by many suitors—was complimented with her small, button nose.

"How are you today, Miss Giselle?" Mrs. Andrews asked as she looked over Giselle.

"Very well, thank you," Giselle replied as she situated herself into an armchair that stood far enough from the three to give her space but close enough not to be considered rude on her part.

A maid entered the room with the teacart and tea was served for the ladies.

"We called today because I heard the news, Miss Giselle," Mrs. Williams announced after she'd sipped her tea.

"News?" Giselle questioned as she nursed her own cup of tea.

"Yes, news," Mrs. Williams confirmed. "I read in the paper today that you have accepted a marriage proposal from Lord Jeremy Rivers, the Earl of Winfield."

"Imagine her delight," Mrs. Andrews commented without looking up from her cup.

"You must tell us of how you captured Earl Winfield's interest, Miss Giselle," Mary requested with a smile Giselle didn't quite trust.

Giselle managed a choked laugh as she tried to figure out what to say.

"Well…I don't know what to say," she confessed. "I suppose…to be honest, I'm not even sure how I did."

"Come now," Mrs. Williams insisted. "No need to be coy, my dear; we all know you have some tricks up your sleeve."

"How else would you have caught the Earl's attention?" Mary questioned as her eyes gleamed with an emotion Giselle couldn't quite identify.

"A woman of your experience could certainly charm any man," Mrs. Andrews commented. "Though you lack the youth and beauty of those like our Mary, you do have one advantage."

"I'm not quite sure if I understand what you're saying," Giselle answered. "Surely, Earl Winfield simply has ambitions that will be met once he marries me and receives my dowry."

"Ah, that's what many would think especially with such a match as yours," Mrs. Andrews countered. "On the contrary, who knows what the Earl is really thinking."

"Perhaps, he is simply looking for a life partner," Mrs. Williams stated. "That is, a life partner with certain qualities."

Giselle didn't miss the look the woman sent toward her twin sister.

"I'm certain Miss Giselle has qualities that the Earl would appreciate," Mary announced and turned to Giselle. "After all, I believe it correct when I say you withhold experiences that would probably make any man vie for your attention."

"Well, of course, any man would want a hand at that experience," Mrs. Andrews added. "Although, I suppose it is of some impression that the Earl did propose marriage."

"Ah yes, that is true," Mary noted with a nod. "Perhaps—do you think—he doesn't know?"

Giselle stiffened in her seat and refused to meet eyes with any of the other three.

"How could he not know?" Mrs. Andrews questioned. "It was all over the gossip columns. The only ones who wouldn't know about it would be hermits."

"I suppose he doesn't care much for gossip columns," Mrs. Williams said.

The chatter faded into the background as Giselle struggled to keep her senses straight. Her breathing was uneven as she told herself to remain calm. Taking a sip of her tea, she realized Lydia had been right in that she should stop accepting calls from these three. The tea did nothing to calm her stress and she feared she wouldn't be able to continue this "little get together" any longer. Just as Giselle would've stood to excuse herself, the door opened and she was relieved to see Lydia.

"Ah, Miss Lydia," Mary greeted. "How kind of you to join our tea party."

"Why don't you have a seat as well?" Mrs. Williams suggested. "The tea is wonderful as it always is."

"It has been a while," Mrs. Andrews greeted. "If I wasn't certain of it myself, I would say you purposely avoid our calls."

Giselle could see Lydia hid barely contained anger behind the sweet smile on her lips.

"My apologies, ladies," Lydia announced and the words sounded forced to Giselle. "Unfortunately, my sister and I are needed in the study for private reasons."

"Well, we mustn't keep you two away then," Mrs. Andrews replied.

"Indeed," Mary said and replaced her teacup. "It was good to see you again, both of you."

"We shall call again next week, perhaps," Mrs. Williams noted with a cheery smile.

Giselle stood and could only nod as she bid the ladies farewell. She only allowed her smiling façade to break once the parlor door closed. She slumped into the armchair and rubbed at her temples she hadn't known were throbbing until then. She heard Lydia grumbling words and looked to see the younger was pacing. She couldn't help but smile at her sister's antics.

"Lydia, no need to be angry," she said.

"I stood outside for some time before coming in," Lydia announced as she faced Giselle. "I can't believe they were so rude as to speak so blatantly."

"Never mind that," Giselle insisted and stood. "What was it that Father needed?"

"It was the only excuse I could think of to get them to leave," Lydia confessed.

Giselle shook her head but smiled at her sister.

"What are we going to do with you, Lydia?" she questioned.

Lydia could only grin in answer.

*/*\\*

Giselle huffed as she focused on attacking the practice dummy with her épée. Her hair—pulled back into a braid—was disheveled with loose ends pasted on her face. Sweat formed a second layer over her skin and her clothes clung to her form. With another jab, she allowed the pull of gravity to take her body and she collapsed to the ground. Her chest rose and fell with her uneven breathing and she closed her eyes as she tried to calm the locomotive rate of her heart.

Her mother had suggested shopping but she hadn't felt like going. Giselle had convinced Lydia to go and knew her sister would get her back when they returned. The thought brought a smile to her lips and she straightened up, brushing her hair out of her face. Several hours had passed since they'd left and she looked at the clock. Supper would be served soon; therefore, she decided to end her practice session. She exited from the salon to find her father headed toward her way and she curtseyed in greeting.

"Father," she greeted.

His worried expression told her he already knew of her disastrous "tea party".

"Giselle," he said and her throat closed at the apologetic tone of his voice.

"It's all right, Father," she insisted with a shrug. "The things they said…they weren't that far from the truth anyway."

The blurring of her vision told her she had started crying. She wiped at her eyes vehemently and mentally scolded herself for crying. He pulled her into his embrace and the tears threatened to spill over again as she buried her face into his shoulder. He patted her head as he made hushing sounds and she choked on the lump in her throat.

"Everything will be all right, Giselle," Lord Hastings stated. "Don't let the gossip hurt you anymore."

Giselle pulled back to look up at him.

"That's not it, Father," she replied. "I've shamed the family with my scandal and no one will ever forget. Even if you've forgiven me, Father, society will never let it be forgotten that I ruined myself. I don't even deserve to be a daughter of the Hastings name anymore…"

"It'll be all right, my dear," he insisted and wiped her tears away. "I'm proud to have you as my daughter. You make me proud, Giselle; nothing is going to make me ashamed of having you for a daughter. We all make mistakes as we grow through life but we can't let those mistakes hold us back. You have to be strong in order to prevail over society. They'll forget all about it once you establish yourself as a mistress of your own home."

"Does the Earl know?" Giselle asked as she sniffed back the remainder of her tears. "Is he aware of…my past?"

"No," Lord Hastings answered.

"You should tell him, Father," Giselle said bitterly. "He probably wouldn't want to be with someone else's used goods."

"Do not talk lowly of yourself, Giselle," Lord Hastings reprimanded. "You're the daughter of the Hastings legacy; it is an honor for any man to marry you."

Giselle's smile was sad even if she tried to be happy that her father held her in such high opinion.

"That was once true, Father," she whispered. "I don't think anyone would want to have me anymore after they've heard of the things I've done."

Lord Hastings moved to say more but she shook her head.

"Enough," she insisted. "I'm tired, Father; I believe I shall take a nap. Please have supper delivered to my room."

She turned to see Lydia standing a few feet away with an expression Giselle almost recognized. She swore it was envy but she didn't understand why Lydia would be envious. The younger woman was still innocent in the eyes of society after all. She hadn't shamed the family to the point of no return like Giselle had. She was their father's true daughter. With a shaky breath, she departed from the hallway and silently wished she could disappear forever so their father would never have to deal with the shame of having her for a daughter again.

*/*\\*

You make me proud, Giselle…

No matter how many times Lydia told herself, she couldn't stop the envy that had crept upon her at her father's words. She knew she had no reason to be angry…not really anyway. Still, her eyes burned as tears threatened to spill and she bit her bottom lip to stop the urge to cry. She sighed and stared at her reflection in her vanity mirror. Deep down, she knew she shouldn't have been surprised.

"After all, Giselle does everything Father ever asked of her…"

Except for one thing, of course…

Lydia laughed and the sound was foreign to her because of the way it was laced with bitterness. She didn't understand how her father could forgive her sister for what she'd done but couldn't even listen to her side of the story when she made her own mistakes. Once again, the notion that her father loved Giselle more than herself crossed her mind and the thought sent a pang through her heart. With a sigh, she shook the thought from her mind and decided to retire to bed. She stood to change but stopped when she heard a knock at her door.

"It's Giselle," her sister called through the door. "Can I come in; there's something I want to show you."

Lydia paused in thought as she stared at the door. She didn't feel like seeing her sister at the current moment. Even so, she figured Giselle would just need a few minutes of her time before leaving her alone for the night. With a sigh, she allowed her sister entry and was surprised to see the pendant hanging around the older woman's neck.

"Why are you wearing that?" she questioned.

Giselle spared the pendant a glance and shrugged.

"I'm not sure, really," she answered. "As I was reading through more of Great Grandfather's journal, I just suddenly felt the need to wear it."

"I suppose," Lydia replied as she shut her door and joined her sister on her bed. "So, what is it that you want to show me?"

Giselle flipped the journal open to a marked page with two lines. As Lydia silently read over the words, she figured they must've been a spell of sorts. She turned her attention to Giselle who was obviously waiting for her opinion.

"What?" she asked. "They're just words."

"I think it's a spell," her sister confessed. "Do you think Great Grandfather was interested in magic?"

Lydia shrugged.

"Who knows," she commented. "Maybe he did."

Giselle nibbled at her lower lip and it was clear the older woman was deep in thought. Lydia wondered how much longer it would take for her sister to leave. Of all nights, she just wasn't in the mood tonight. With a sigh, she resolved to twisting the ring she wore on her left middle finger. It gleamed brightly as it caught the light each time she twisted the blue jewel back into view.

"Do you want to recite the words with me?" Giselle asked.

Lydia couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Why not?"

"Well…I suppose if you want to."

"Just once; then, I'll leave you alone for the night."

"All right."

Lydia ushered closer to Giselle's side. Her sister placed the journal between the both of them to allow easy reading. Giselle turned to her with a waiting look and she nodded in confirmation. Together, they cited the words of the spell.

To time and place that are the same

Let past be present that time regain

They waited for a response only for there to be none and Lydia sighed as Giselle closed the journal. Giselle chuckled as she got out of bed and faced Lydia with a sheepish look.

"I suppose that was stupid," she noted and Lydia nodded. "Well…I'll leave you alone to sleep then; good night, Lydia."

"Good night, Giselle," Lydia replied and couldn't help but smile. "Maybe Great Grandfather was just into poetry."

"Maybe," Giselle said as a smile teased her lips and she turned to leave.

Lydia stood to change only to pause when she heard a loud thump. Looking over her shoulder, her heart lurched into her throat when she saw Giselle had collapsed. Scurrying over her bed, she fell at her sister's side and flipped the woman over. Her vision blurred as she started crying, worry making her sick to the stomach.

"Giselle!" she exclaimed as she shook the woman's shoulder. "Wake up; what's wrong with you?"

She stood to get help only for her vision to swirl as if she was experiencing a dizzy spell. Falling back onto her knees, she felt warmth that started at her left middle finger. It slowly seeped through her body until it enveloped her entirely and weighed her down like lead. She fell over her sister and felt her throat constrict with worry for the woman. One question repeated itself in her mind: what the hell was going on? The last thing she remembered before darkness engulfed her world was the faint glow of Giselle's pendant as well as her ring.

\---

Author's Note: All right, the wait is almost over! The next chapter is finally going to feature the characters of Kuroshitsuji. Then, the true adventure begins! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!

P.S. – The spell was borrowed from a spell on Charmed and doesn't belong to the author.

P.S. – A reviewer asked what the current time period for the girls was. To be honest, there was no thought for which time period the girls were from. Just assume that they are in a time that is modern but still holding onto traditional societal behavior. Does that make any sense? XD


	4. Phantomhive?

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of The Strings of Fate is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

\---

Lydia stirred when she heard the squawking of seagulls along with the shouting of men. She knew it was day because the sun was bright even without opening her eyes. When she did, she had to squint and took a moment to focus. She pushed herself onto her knees and examined her surroundings. Her brain was muddled as she tried to remember what had happened and how she had ended up amongst a bunch of cargo.

As the memories came rushing back, she stood and collapsed against a nearby box. She waited until her sense of balance returned before she decided to move. Remembering another detail, she looked around only to find Giselle wasn't within the vicinity. She wondered if the woman was all right and tried to squelch the worry that made her stomach clench. She headed out of the alcove she was in and stopped when she found herself staring into ocean water.

"I must be at the harbor," she noted and frowned. "Then…that must mean I'm in London."

Lydia didn't remember travelling to London at all. Even if she had, why would she have been sleeping by the harbor of all places? With a sigh, she headed toward what she assumed was the exit out of the cargo section. As she exited, she came to a pause as several men carrying huge sacks of unknown material walked by her. They didn't seem to notice her and she decided to head out of the area before anyone scolded her for trespassing. She didn't want to have to explain how she had woken up amongst their shipment.

As she headed toward the city, Lydia found it difficult to remember where she was going because the buildings she clearly remembered couldn't be located. She frowned with confusion as she tried to comprehend what was happening. Surely there hadn't been recent construction in London and—even if there were—she would've read it in the newspaper. Sighing once again, she headed off once more in another attempt to find her way around. She didn't stop until she realized many others were casting her weird glances and whispering amongst themselves.

She wondered what was wrong but paused in thought when she noticed the strange attire everyone else was wearing. The women all wore full-length dresses with a matching hat atop their heads while the men wore suits accompanied by top hats. She looked down at her attire and figured everyone must've been whispering about her choice of black cargo pants and an unzipped hoodie for her wardrobe. She found it stranger that everyone else was dressed so formally. No one dressed like that on a daily basis anymore from the last time she checked.

"Get back here!"

Suddenly, Lydia's sense of balance was disturbed as someone rushed past and bumped her shoulder. She turned to see a young man wearing a royal blue coat running away and wondered what his rush was. She stood in place—wondering where to go next—when she was roughly pushed from behind.

"Out of the way!"

Lydia fell to her hands and knees, wincing as pain flashed through her limbs. She looked up to see an older man running in the direction the young man had gone. Irked at being pushed around, she fisted her hands and shoved herself onto her feet. She followed in pursuit of the man with determination to give him a piece of her mind. She came upon her designated target and saw he'd pulled a knife on the young man she'd seen before.

"Yer gonna get it, ye son of a bitch," the older threatened as he lodged the knife's edge against the younger one's throat. "Sneakin' around with that dem butler of yers, I'll teach ye!"

"Get on with it, then," the younger man replied impatiently.

Lydia ran forward and rammed her shoulder into the older man. He collapsed onto his side, releasing the young man. He got to his feet and looked at her with a questioned expression. She spared him only a glance before she made her way to the older man and grabbed his shirt to pull him up into a sitting position. He groaned before shaking his head to look at her and his eyes narrowed into a cold glare.

"Who the hell 'er you?!" he demanded.

"Someone you shouldn't have messed with," Lydia answered matter-of-factly and pushed him onto the ground. "How does that feel, huh?!"

With a growl, the man pushed himself to his feet and towered over her with a menacing glint in his eyes.

"I suggest ye be off on yer way, missy," he warned in a dark tone. "Unless…ye'll find yerself bein' pushed in ways yer little mind can't even comprehend." He looked her over and licked his lips in a lecherous manner. "I'll be willin' to teach ye a thing er two."

"In your dreams!" Lydia countered and backhanded the man.

The man grabbed his cheek and reached for Lydia with a growl. She sidestepped and jabbed her elbow into his back. He stumbled forward before he turned to run at her. She ran at him only to sidestep once again and—grabbing his arm closest to her—tripped him. She forced him into a forward somersault to land on his back. She moved to kick her heel down onto the man but he deflected the blow and pulled her feet out from under her.

Collapsed onto her back with the air knocked out of her, he grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her to her feet before grabbing her around the neck. She moved to struggle free but stopped when he poked her side with his knife. Holding her close, he moved the knife to press against her cheek as he began cackling. The rough sound grated against her ears and she growled with irritation.

"Pretty well trained fer a lady, eh, missy," the man commented. "I think I like that feistiness of yers."

"Let her go," the young man said. "I'm the one you want."

"Ah, she's mine now," the man countered and grazed his knife against her cheek. "Just think of all them things we'll be doin', missy; yer gonna like it, I promise ye."

"Lay off, would you," Lydia countered and winced when his hold around her neck tightened.

"That's what yer sayin' now!" he exclaimed. "But we'll see…later…"

He bellowed with laughter and Lydia felt her last nerve of patience snap. With a silent vow of seeing this man down, she kicked back against the cap of his knee with all her might and was satisfied with the sound of a deafening crack. The man released her and she rolled forward as he fell to the ground, cradling his knee. She approached him and jumped back when he swung his knife in defense. She heard a shot rang out and the knife was knocked out of the man's hand. No hesitation, she ran forward and kneed the side of his head. His head rocked to the side as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed unconscious.

"What a pain…" Lydia voiced with a huff.

She pulled back her loosened hair and blew at the stray strands. With a triumphant grin, she gave a cheer and stuck her tongue out at the man. She was tempted to kick the man again but decided enough was enough. With a sigh, she leaned onto her knees as she allowed her body to catch up and chuckled.

"I suppose you will want a reward."

Her attention was diverted when she heard another voice and remembered the young man who was with her. Straightening, she turned and stopped when she finally saw the young man who stood not too far away. His dark navy-blue hair was a fringe that framed his angular features and teased the tops of his eyes. One blue eye, rather. A black eye patch covered his right eye. She couldn't help but think he was beautiful. No, he was in no way feminine at all…but he was beautiful. He cleared his throat and she fell out of her daze. Embarrassed for staring, she coughed awkwardly before noticing the impatient look he was giving her and the gold coin he held out to her.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Payment," he answered with an exasperated sigh. "For your help, of course; you do want a reward, right?"

Offended by his arrogant tone, Lydia moved to slap him but was stopped when a man dressed all in black appeared out of nowhere to grab her wrist. She struggled to free herself but his hold was firm. She turned her attention to the man only to pause when she locked eyes with his. The color—reddish brown like dried blood—was an odd color she'd never seen before. He stared down at her with a blank expression yet she couldn't help but feel intimated.

"You're late," the young man reprimanded.

The man in black smiled.

"Forgive my tardiness, Master," he replied in a deep, sultry voice. "You do always seem to have a knack for getting in trouble when you send me away with your orders."

The young man rolled his eyes.

"Nothing but a setback," he commented before turning his attention to Lydia again. "Do you want the reward or not?"

"What makes you think I want a reward, you jerk?!" Lydia countered as she tried struggling free.

"My master is simply paying you for your services," the man announced, his voice sending chills up her spine and she stopped moving. "How rude it is for you to retaliate in such a manner, I must say."

"I don't need his money!" Lydia hissed and tried to struggle free again. "Let go of me!"

She stopped when the man turned her hand to examine her ring.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"None of your business!" she countered as she continued struggling. "Just let go of me and I'll leave you both alone; I wasn't the one terrorizing your master!"

"I am afraid I cannot do that," the man answered and looked to his apparent master. "Master, perhaps you would like to see this."

The young man—with an irritated expression—stepped forward to glance over her ring only to do a double take. He pulled her hand for closer scrutiny. Lydia moved to hit him only to have her other wrist caught as well. She sighed in defeat and slumped against the man who held her captive.

"Where did you find this?" the young man demanded. "How do you have it?"

"Like I'd tell you!" she snapped. "Is this how you thank those who've helped you out?"

The young man took one last look at her ring before turning his attention to her.

"I did offer you payment," he noted with a smirk. "Anyways, we've wasted too much time already. Sebastian…"

"Yes," the man in black answered as he bowed.

The movement forced Lydia to bow along with him and she gritted her teeth in anger. Never had she thought she'd ever bow to another being. She tried to free herself only to fail once again. She glared daggers at the man's profile and vowed she'd get her vengeance when she had the chance.

"Take me home," the young man commanded and headed off.

"What about this girl?" the man asked.

"Bring her along," the young man answered without a glance back.

Before Lydia could voice her disapproval, she felt a quick pain on the side of her neck and silently cursed the man in black as her vision blurred into darkness.

*/*\\*

Lydia awoke to find herself seated in a wooden chair with her limbs tied to the furniture. Her neck was sore from a crick and she felt achy. Attempting to pull free of her bindings, she winced when she only succeeded in tightening them and the ropes bit into her flesh. Slouching, she sighed in defeat and wondered where she was. She looked around to realize she was in a study room and wondered where the two men were.

As if on cue, the door behind her opened and she looked to see the young man from before standing in the doorway. Again, his beauty took her breath away. He was dressed in a royal blue suit that brought out the color of his eye. He eyed her with scrutiny before he made his way to sit behind the desk and continued eyeing her across the desk between them. She stared back at him and wondered what he was thinking about. The silence was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Enter," the young man called and Lydia turned her head to see the man in black—Sebastian, she remembered—enter the study with a tea cart.

"As you requested, Master," he announced and proceeded to serve the young man tea.

Lydia watched as they continued to ignore her presence and wondered if they were purposely doing it.

"What do you want with me?" she asked when she tired of waiting for their interrogation to begin. "I have no money or anything of value and I'm certain you already have more than you need."

"The ring on your middle finger," the young man announced as he stared over his teacup at her.

Lydia glanced down at her left hand to see her ring was gone. She gasped and her eyes widened as she looked back up at him. She attempted to free herself and hissed angrily when the ropes bit deeper into her flesh. She let out a growl of frustration.

"What did you do with it?!" she demanded. "Do you always take things that don't belong to you without permission?!"

With a sigh, the young man set his teacup down and reached into his pocket. He placed her ring onto the desk and pushed it out toward her. Once she saw the ring, she calmed down and glared at him. The edges of his lips curved into a smug smirk and Lydia told herself he was lucky she was currently bound.

"Where did you get this ring?" he asked after a sip of his tea.

"Give it back," she countered. "It's mine."

"How do I know it truly belongs to you?" he questioned. "You could have stolen it from someone else for all I know."

"You don't," Lydia replied with a shrug and gestured to her restrained limbs. "Is this how you usually treat your guests?"

The young man rolled his eyes before he looked at Sebastian and nodded. The older man set the teapot down and moved to Lydia's side. She looked up at him as he looked down at her and the reddish brown of his eyes caught her interest again. He smiled as if he knew her thoughts and proceeded to untie her. She forced down the urge to kick out at him and rubbed her wrists once they were relieved.

"Now…answer my question," the young man ordered.

Lydia leaned back in her chair and propped her right arm on the chair and leaned her head against her fist. Remembering films she'd watched when a woman was getting interrogated and would cross her legs, she decided to give it a try and attempted to cross her own leg over the other. She noticed the way the young man's eyes looked over her legs before returning to her face and—feeling awkward—adjusted her leg to set her right ankle atop her left knee. She turned her attention to her ring which gleamed from its spot on the desk.

"Do you always expect others to obey your every command?" she asked and looked back at him to see the evident frustration on his face. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." She sighed and readjusted into a slouching position in her chair. "I don't know why you're so interested in the ring. It's just an old antique."

"How did you come into possession of it?" the young man asked.

"I didn't steal it," Lydia answered. "It belongs to me."

"Was it given to you?"

"You can say that…"

"Who gave it to you?"

"An elderly woman…"

"Was it an heirloom?"

"Not really…"

"Did you have to give monetary compensation for the ring?"

"Maybe…"

The young man leaned his head against his fist as he propped his arm upon his desk and sighed in frustration. Lydia realized she was probably pushing her luck when he looked back up at her with eyes full of impatience. She refused to give in and attempted to stand only to be pushed back into the chair by Sebastian. She cast him a glare, saw his smile that screamed fake pleasantries, and rolled her eyes.

"Did you…or did you not…steal that ring?" the young man asked, his jaws clenching with evident anger.

"How many times do I have to tell you I didn't steal the ring?" Lydia reiterated, getting irritated as well. "This ring belongs to me; I have every right to ownership."

With a sigh, the young man stood and turned away to look out the window behind his desk, clasping his hands together behind him. He was silent for a few minutes and Lydia wondered if he had decided to give up interrogating her. She peeked at Sebastian to see he was looking at her and diverted her eyes elsewhere.

"If you do not wish to cooperate…" the young man started. "…then, I shall keep you here until I receive more information whether it is from you or by my own means."

"You can't just keep me here!" Lydia exclaimed.

"You shall remain here as a maid," the young man continued as if she hadn't said anything. "Sebastian will show you to your quarters."

"You can't keep me here," Lydia repeated and stood with no restraint this time. "I have family that will worry when I don't go home."

He glanced back at her.

"They will eventually come to collect you," he noted matter-of-factly. "When that happens, they will provide me the information which you refuse to share with me."

"You bastard!" Lydia exclaimed. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"The head of the Phantomhive family and the heir to the earldom legacy…" the young man announced as he faced her. "…Ciel Phantomhive."

"Phantomhive?" Lydia voiced, realizing the name sounded familiar.

"Enough," the young man—Ciel—stated and looked at the older man. "Sebastian, take her to her quarters and have Mey Rin show her around."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian replied as he bowed.

"W-wait, you're seriously going to keep me here?" Lydia questioned when Sebastian faced her.

"Unless you will tell me what I wish to know?" Ciel replied.

Lydia told herself to stop being stubborn and just cooperate. Giselle was probably still out there somewhere by herself. Who knew what the other woman could be going through right at that moment. Lydia hoped her sister was all right and that—at least—she wasn't stuck with someone like this Ciel. Just the thought of him spiked her anger and she found herself mouthing off to him again.

"Over my dead body!" she snapped.

Ciel sat down and waved his hand in a dismissive manner before turning away in his chair. Sebastian took her by the arm and ushered her out of the room. She clenched her teeth in anger but couldn't break free of Sebastian's hold to return back into the study to give Ciel a piece of her mind. Never before had she met such an arrogant man who expected his every demand to be obeyed. As she fumed, she felt Sebastian come to a stop and she looked to find them at the bottom of a small set of stairs. He gave her a look to indicate he wanted her to stay put before he climbed the five steps to the door at the top.

Irked that he would think he could simply boss her around, she followed him up the stairs and plastered on a fake smile when he looked back at her. He shook his head but said nothing as he knocked on the door and—shortly after—the door opened to reveal a young woman with red hair styled into a square fringe. She wore a long-sleeved blue dress with matching buttons and a white pinafore with ruffled sleeves. Though Lydia couldn't see the woman's eyes because they were hidden behind a pair of thick glasses, she felt the woman was looking at her.

"Mey Rin, meet the newest addition to the household staff," Sebastian announced as he ushered back toward Lydia. "She will be a maid alongside you; I am assigning you to teach her everything she is expected to know as a proper servant of the Phantomhive household. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-y-yes, Mr. Sebastian!" the woman replied in a nervous voice.

"I shall return in half an hour to take her on the tour of the manor," he noted. "Please have her dressed properly and prepared by then."

"O-of course!" Mey Rin answered.

Sebastian nodded in approval and, with a bow to both ladies, hurried off on his own errands. Lydia returned her attention to the older woman who seemed content with staring at her and decided to start first.

"My name is Lydia Hastings," she announced with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mey Rin."

"Oh, pardon my rudeness, Lydia!" Mey Rin replied with a sheepish smile. "It is nice to meet you as well; come in, come in." She stepped out of the way as she opened the door wider. "It is good to know there will be another maid in the household, it is."

Lydia nodded and entered, shutting the door after her. She watched as Mey Rin searched through a basket of clothes and looked around the room. It was a large room with only one bed in the far right corner. In the left corner was a small vanity and to the left of that was a desk with a wooden chair. The room was rather bare and Lydia figured Mey Rin rarely spent time in her room other than to sleep.

"I think this will do, yes," Mey Rin announced as she pulled out a dress identical to hers and held it out before Lydia.

"Oh no, not a dress," Lydia said as she stepped away.

Mey Rin tilted her head in question.

"But this is the Phantomhive maid's uniform," Mey Rin noted with a nod. "It is required of you to wear the uniform, it is."

Lydia shook her head.

"Dresses and I don't go well together," she insisted. "Can't I just wear my pants?"

"Eh, well…" Mey Rin looked over her attire and scratched curiously at her own head. "I suppose you can…for now." She held out the dress once again and Lydia shirked away. "You really do not want to wear the uniform?" Lydia nodded and Mey Rin hesitated for a moment before sighing in defeat. "You will just have to discuss that with Mr. Sebastian, then, yes."

"Thank you, Mey Rin," Lydia said happily.

The older woman nodded and smiled before she set off to explaining the daily chores of the maid. Lydia listened closely and tried to absorb all the information. As she went over the large load of work, she wondered how Mey Rin was able to do it all by herself. She sighed with dismay when she realized she had a load of hard work cut out for her. What was she going to do if no one ever came for her? What if she was stuck there as a maid for the rest of her life? Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ah, Mr. Sebastian must be back to show you the manor," Mey Rin noted as she went to answer the door.

Lydia swore she saw a hint of annoyance on Sebastian's face when he saw she was still dressed in her original attire. The expression disappeared quickly and she couldn't tell if it was just her imagination or not. Regardless, she felt a small glow of triumph deep in her chest to know she had elicited an emotional response from him.

"I am afraid we are short on time," he said as he looked at his pocket watch. "I shall give you a quick tour of the mansion before I must return to my duties." He looked her over once again. "We shall discuss your attire along the way."

Sebastian headed off and Lydia followed him after bidding Mey Rin farewell with a smile.

"As we did not start off on the right foot, I shall introduce myself properly to you," Sebastian announced as they walked along. "I am Sebastian Michaelis; head butler of the Phantomhive manor. If there is anything you must or would like to know, please do not hesitate to ask me."

"I certainly won't," Lydia answered. "And my name's Lydia."

Sebastian nodded in acknowledge and continued on with the tour. Several times, Lydia wondered if he deliberately walked faster than necessary so she would have to run to keep up with him. When she could find the breath for it, she grumbled to herself and only vaguely remembered the particular rooms Sebastian showed to her. When they were making their way toward the kitchen, she heard a loud boom and felt the vibrations through the floor. She heard Sebastian let out an exasperated sigh before they continued their way.

When they arrived at the doors to the kitchen, smoke leaked through the bottom crack of the door. Sebastian opened the door and they both entered. Any surface that should've been spotless was covered in soot and ash. Lydia wondered what happened and was startled by a hand that abruptly reached up from the opposite side of the island counter. A man pulled himself up and a coughing fit erupted from his throat. Lydia could see beneath his soot covered hair that the color was blonde and he had blue-grey eyes. She assumed he was the chef because of his uniform consisting of a chef's coat along with a long apron. She saw the goggles that hung loosely around his neck and found it peculiar.

"What are you doing, Bard?" Sebastian asked in a voice dripping with annoyance.

"Well, y'see…the water was taking too long to boil," Bard answered. "So, I decided to help it along with some dynamite."

Lydia was taken aback by his words. Dynamite? To help boil water faster? Did he have a death wish or was he just a fool? She heard Sebastian sigh and wondered if this happened often. She turned her attention to the man who was looking at her.

"Ah, a new face, eh?" he commented and Lydia recognized his American accent. "The name's Baldroy but you, pretty miss, can call me Bard."

"Nice to meet you, Bard," Lydia replied with a smile. "I'm Lydia."

"Nice to meet you, Lydia," he answered.

"Lydia will be helping Mey Rin around the manor," Sebastian announced. "I am currently giving her a tour." He took out his pocket watch to look at the time. "I expect to see this entire place spotless when I return, Bard." He faced Lydia. "Come this way, Lydia; we still have much to see."

"See ya around, Lydia," Bard bid as Lydia followed Sebastian from the kitchen.

They headed outside into the garden and Lydia saw a young man standing in the distance. As they approached him, she saw he wore a plain top with red piping around the collar and plaid pants along with black knee-high boots. A straw hat hung off his back and covered his nape, leaving his blonde hair exposed. He faced them and his large, turquoise-green eyes brightened as he smiled. He waved before he ran to meet them.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sebastian!" he greeted enthusiastically before he turned his cheery smile on Lydia. "Is she new here? Will she be working alongside us as well?"

"Lydia will be a maid alongside Mey Rin," Sebastian answered. "I am showing her around the manor."

"Nice to meet you, Lydia," he greeted as he held out his hand. "My name is Finny; I'm the gardener."

"It's nice to meet you too, Finny," Lydia replied and decided she liked him the best out of the three servants she'd met so far.

She took a hold of his hand only to cry out when his hold nearly crushed her bones. He yelped in surprise and released her hand. She pulled it to her chest and winced when she flexed her fingers to make sure they were okay. Her attention was distracted when Finny started voicing his worry for her.

"Oh no, I've gone and done it again!" he exclaimed and shook his head viciously. "I'm sorry, Lydia! Are you all right? Did I hurt you at all? Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Calm down, Finny," Sebastian commanded.

Finny obeyed and stepped back with teary eyes. Lydia felt her heart reach out to him and she gave him a smile of reassurance. She flexed her fingers again and twirled her wrist around to show she was fine.

"I'm fine, thanks," she noted. "Don't worry; I'm a tough girl, Finny."

"Are you sure?" he asked with a worried voice. "I didn't mean to…I forget my own strength sometimes."

"It's okay," she insisted. "I'll just take it as a big welcoming handshake. After all, I'm sure we will become good friends."

"Right!" he responded with a grin. "Ah, you should probably continue your tour with Mr. Sebastian; he doesn't like to fall behind schedule."

"See you later, then, Finny," Lydia bid before she and Sebastian departed.

They made their way back into the manor and Sebastian took her to a room located down the hall from Mey Rin's room. He entered first and ushered for her to follow. She looked around the room to find it identical to Mey Rin's except there was no vanity set. She figured the room would do and faced Sebastian for the next order of business. He took a glance at his pocket watch before nodding approvingly. They had probably made good time.

"This shall be your room," he announced matter-of-factly. "You may do as you please with the decorating of the inside although I do ask you to keep propriety in mind." He stepped further into the room and paused to look her over. "Now, your choice of attire is most displeasing. I am certain you are aware it is improper of a young woman such as yourself to be seen in such clothing. It would be best if you wore the proper attire while serving the Master."

"If you're going to keep me here against my own will, I will remain in my clothes," Lydia countered. "I like wearing pants and there's nothing you can do or say that will change my opinion. I don't like wearing dresses; they hinder my movement."

"It is required of you to wear the proper uniform of the servants," Sebastian stated. "Will it take some time for you to understand that, Lydia?"

"I understand perfectly!" Lydia snapped. "You are the one who doesn't understand! I already said a dress hinders my movement; what part of that do you not understand?"

Sebastian sighed.

"I suppose the Master will have to deal with your lack of decorum," he commented. "I warn you, Lydia, that it would be best if you adapt to your new situation or else it will not fare well for you in the near future."

"I accept your challenge," Lydia replied. "I'm telling you now that I will not be broken so easily."

She thought she saw an amused smirk tease his lips but it was gone so quickly she thought she'd imagined it. Sebastian nodded and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and looked back at her.

"Please report to the kitchen by three o'clock," he said. "Your services will begin then."

With that, he left and Lydia found herself all alone with nothing but her own thoughts to keep her company.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered out loud.

\---

Author's Note: The moment has finally arrived! This chapter was mainly introductions and whatnot but, don't worry, the adventure has already begun. Thanks for reading and—until the next chapter!


	5. A Guest for Dinner

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji aka Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Her characters have been borrowed solely for the purpose of The Strings of Fate with no intentions of copyright infringement. Any similarity to other fanfictions is purely coincidental and no malicious actions are intended.

Author's Note: Any distribution of The Strings of Fate is prohibited without the author's permission. Thank you for your cooperation!

\---

Lydia groaned when she turned the corner only to find herself in another long corridor. She hadn't realized how big the Phantomhive manor was when Sebastian had taken her on the tour. Then again, she hadn't paid attention to the tour because she was busy trying to keep up with his fast pace. With a sigh, she headed down the hallway and hoped it would be the correct one. She turned at the end and smiled when she recognized the kitchen hallway. She entered the kitchen to find Sebastian decorating a floral setting.

"I specifically remember telling you to report by three o'clock, Lydia," he chided even as he continued his work.

She glanced at the clock to see it was a quarter after three.

"Well, you should've considered the fact that I might get lost," she noted and leaned against the counter.

"Why else would I have given you a tour if not to prevent you getting lost?" he questioned in nonchalance.

Lydia rolled her eyes.

"I'm here now," she countered. "Reporting for duty."

Sebastian laid aside the vase of flowers and eyed her with scrutiny. She stared back and they remained in that position until he sighed and turned away. She grinned with triumph as he went to retrieve something only to frown when he faced her again with a set of clothing. When she didn't take the clothes, he ushered them into her hold and turned back to the vase.

"After speaking with the Master, he has decided that you will be exempt from wearing a dress," he announced. "However, you are expected to wear the newly altered uniform given to you."

With a sigh, Lydia sifted through the clothes. The uniform consisted of a white blouse with a black ribbon tied into a bow at the neckline. The rest included a pair of black trouser pants and a black overcoat with cuffs. Lydia smiled as she held them out for examination and nodded with approval. She folded the clothes and straightened up before returning her attention to Sebastian.

"Be prompt, Lydia," he ordered. "I expect you back in no more than ten minutes. We have a guest coming for dinner and the Master expects us to give the utmost hospitality."

"Yessir," Lydia replied as she gave a salute and headed off to change.

*/*\\*

By the time Lydia returned, Sebastian was no longer in the kitchen and there were only the other servants. She noticed an elderly man who was dressed similarly to Sebastian and wondered if he was another butler. She went to join them and was cheerily greeted by Finny and Mey Rin. The four looked over her attire and she almost laughed at their expressions.

"That's quite an interesting uniform for you, Miss Lydia," Finny announced.

"Yes, it is," Mey Rin agreed.

"How're you to go about helping Mey Rin while dressed like that?" Bard questioned.

"I actually move better in these," Lydia answered as she modeled the pants for them. "Dresses are too heavy and the many layers are soOo agonizing."

"I suppose that is true, yes," Mey Rin noted. "I'm glad the Master has accommodated your request, Miss Lydia."

"I am too," Lydia replied and turned her attention to the fourth servant. "I don't believe we've met yet."

The elderly man had grey hair and a mustache that was just as grey. He held an oriental teacup in his hands while he watched her through a monocle. With a warm smile, he nodded to her in greeting.

"Welcome to the Phantomhive staff, my dear," he greeted in a soft voice. "I am the steward of the manor. My name is Tanaka."

"It's nice to meet you, Tanaka," Lydia replied with a smile. "My name is Lydia."

"I hope you will grow to like it here," he said before taking a sip of his tea. "There are only a few of us and so we are like family here."

"I hope so too," Lydia commented. "I suppose it wouldn't-"

She was surprised when Tanaka started snoring and examined him closer to find him sleeping. She turned to the others with a confused look and they laughed.

"Tanaka is like that," Bard answered.

"Yeah, he has narlosepcy," Finny added.

"Not narlosepcy, Finny," Mey Rin scolded. "It's narsolepcy."

Lydia found herself even more confused.

"Do you mean...narcolepsy?" she questioned.

"Yeah, that's it!" Finny and Mey Rin interjected.

"It comes and goes," Bard explained. "He can stay awake for several hours at a time while sometimes he can't even stay awake for more than a few minutes."

"I see," Lydia replied as she looked at the elderly man. "Well, anyways...where's Sebastian?"

"The Master called him away," Mey Rin answered.

"We were just planning to surprise him," Bard announced. "We're going to do all the preparations to make a hospitable dinner. Plus, we'll do such a great job at it that he'll be so amazed that his jaw will drop."

Finny and Mey Rin nodded in excitement and Lydia couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

"Well, if you plan on doing that, we'd better get started right away," she suggested.

"Yes, ma'am!" the other three interjected.

"Ho, ho, ho..."

Lydia turned her attention to Tanaka to see he was still sound asleep and shook her head even as she smiled. Turning her attention back to the others, she heard Finny would be going outside to take out all the weeds. Bard stated he would help Sebastian cook the slab of meat that lay waiting on the kitchen counter. When both guys headed off, Mey Rin faced Lydia and smiled.

"I believe we should take out the fine china for our guest," she announced. "Will you help me retrieve it, Miss Lydia?"

"No problem," Lydia replied. "Lead the way, Mey Rin."

"Right this way," Mey Rin said as she headed off and Lydia followed.

They entered a room several doors down and Lydia looked around at the surroundings. Many cupboards lined the walls and were filled with many different types of chinaware. Mey Rin moved toward the back of the room and stopped in front of the designated cupboard. She mentioned the needed chinaware was at the very top and Lydia saw it would take someone taller to retrieve them from up there. Instead, Mey Rin grabbed a stepping stool nearby and proceeded to grab the plates.

"Are you sure that's safe, Mey Rin?" Lydia questioned when she noticed how wobbly the stool was.

Rather than grabbing just a few at a time, Mey Rin had the entire stack in her hold. Lydia watched cautiously as the red head attempted to step down from the stool. The stack began tilting and Lydia moved forward to grab some. The stool wobbled and Mey Rin cried out as she lost her balance. A gasp escaped Lydia's lips as Mey Rin dropped the stack and she was only able to catch one plate before the red head fell onto her, knocking the air out of her.

"Oh no!" Mey Rin exclaimed as she removed herself from atop Lydia. "Are you all right, Miss Lydia?"

"I can't feel my ribs," Lydia replied in a hoarse voice.

"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry!" Mey Rin interjected as she attempted to help Lydia sit up.

Lydia cried out as pain flashed through her chest and groaned as she rubbed at the aching spot. The pain receded and she took a breath to test if there were any injuries. When no pain came, she sighed and stood with Mey Rin's help. She examined the single plate she held and looked down at the broken mess of chinaware. What were they going to do now?

"How exactly did this come about?"

Lydia and Mey Rin turned to see Sebastian standing in the doorway. He had a look of disapproval as he looked over the mess. Mey Rin rushed to the butler and began sputtering excuses that Lydia couldn't decipher. Sebastian sighed as he rubbed at his temple before turning his attention to Lydia. She stiffened in response as he approached her and prepared for what he had to say.

"Lydia...you were hired to help Mey Rin with her work," he noted matter-of-factly. "What were you doing?"

"I did try to help her!" she snapped. "She slipped so suddenly that I had no time to do anything." She waved the lone plate she held in front of his face. "I managed to save one plate!"

Sebastian sighed.

"I suppose it cannot be helped," he stated nonchalantly. "I shall have to replace them again."

He turned away and headed out of the room. Mey Rin followed after him and Lydia figured she was supposed to follow as well. She saw Finny, Bard, and Tanaka were all waiting before the kitchen entrance. She saw the look of disappointment on Bard's face and glanced into the kitchen to see what happened. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the entire counter was charred as if someone had taken a flamethrower to it.

She turned her attention to the others to hear Finny mention how he'd used undiluted weed killer on the lawn. Lydia feared what the yard must've looked like. Taking a glance at Sebastian to see he appeared to be beyond irritated, she figured the sight probably wasn't good. Why on earth had Finny decided to use undiluted weed killer?

"We're sorry, Mr. Sebastian!" Finny and Mey Rin exclaimed.

The two unleashed a whining cry that went unnoticed by Sebastian as he appeared to be in deep thought. Lydia found herself wondering if these disastrous moments happened often. Bard kept his eyes glued to the ground as he continued moping. Tanaka sat not too far away and she noticed he was asleep.

"Calm down, all of you!" Sebastian suddenly announced. "Now, listen to me; take a page from Tanaka's book and behave like—" He seemed to pause as if he'd been hit with an idea and looked at the elderly man. "Everyone, listen carefully to what I'm about to say and act immediately." He removed the oriental teacup from Tanaka's hold—disturbing the elderly man from his sleep—and held up the cup. "We'll manage with this."

"How are we going to manage with just an oriental teacup?" Lydia questioned.

The others all stared at her and she stared back, determined not to feel stupid for asking such a question. Sebastian shook his head as he returned the cup to Tanaka and proceeded to give the other servants designated chores. Lydia grumbled under her breath at being ignored and continued to do so until Sebastian called her. She looked up to find she was alone with him and wondered where the others had gone. She realized he was eyeing her with an expression she couldn't identify and looked away. She remembered she still held the single plate and faced him again.

"What do you want me to do with this?" she questioned.

Sebastian stared at her for what seemed like an eternity before he responded by taking the plate and disappearing into the kitchen. With a huff of irritation, she decided to follow after Mey Rin in hopes she would be able to prevent any further disasters.

*/*\\*

"Wow," Lydia voiced when she stepped outside to see the Phantomhive yard had been altered to look like a Japanese stone garden.

With no time to spare as the guest was arriving, Lydia and the other servants all lined up to welcome the guest. The carriage drove up and stopped for a middle-aged man to exit from the vehicle. Dressed in a beige trench coat with a top hat, he was the image of a nobleman. He stared over the stone garden in awe and Sebastian went on to mention the origins of the design. Dinner would be served on the terrace outside that night and Sebastian requested the man to wait in the manor until dinner was ready.

"That's the house of Phantomhive for you," the man—Mr. Damiano, Lydia heard—stated with a chuckle. "I can't wait until this evening."

Tanaka led him to the entrance and closed the door behind them once they entered. Mey Rin, Bard, and Finny all dropped their façade of proper servants. Finny smiled with glee while Mey Rin let out an exhausted sigh. Bard wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"We made it in time," he stated thankfully.

Finny looked out toward the stone garden.

"Who would've thought the gravel I rushed out to buy would make such a great garden?!" he exclaimed with excitement.

Sebastian walked past them but paused to look back with a smirk that Lydia found rather smug.

"A Phantomhive butler who can't do this much isn't worth his salt," he announced.

Lydia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she saw the look Sebastian sent her way.

"There's still work to be done," Sebastian continued. "Let's get to it while the Master is talking business with his guest."

"Right," the other servants said.

Sebastian walked off and the servants followed. Lydia paused to examine the stone garden and found herself wondering. How was Sebastian able to decorate the yard in such a short amount of time? Thinking of the work load it must've taken, she let out a tired sigh.

"Are you all right, Miss Lydia?" Finny questioned.

She looked to see the young man eyeing her with worry and she plastered on a smile.

"I'm fine, thank you," she answered. "I just haven't done this much work in quite a while."

"You must be exhausted, Miss Lydia," he noted with worry.

"It's no problem, Finny," Lydia replied. "Come, we better hurry."

With a response of his bright smile, Lydia walked with Finny as they hurried to follow after the other two who'd already gone ahead. As soon as they entered the kitchen, Bard was already cutting the slab of meat he'd burnt to a charring crisp into thin slices. Sebastian was overlooking his process when Mey Rin called from down the hallway.

"Sebastian!"

Lydia turned to see the woman was running toward them. She was dismayed by the fact the woman was holding five stacked boxes that blocked her vision. Lydia feared the woman would have another disastrous accident.

"I found them, yes!" Mey Rin exclaimed.

Just as the words left her lips, she tripped and fell forward with the boxes tumbling down. Lydia gasped but didn't have to move far when Sebastian was able to catch all the boxes by himself. Lydia found herself impressed with how he'd caught four boxes in one hand while one he'd caught with his foot. Mey Rin rammed into Sebastian's form but he didn't even move from the impact. The red head pulled away as her cheeks flamed into a reddish color of embarrassment.

"I can't believe you," Sebastian reprimanded. "How many times have I told you not to run inside the manor?"

Mey Rin scurried several feet back as she vehemently shook her head.

"I'm so sorry, yes!" she interjected. "My glasses are cracked and I can't really see where I'm going."

Lydia was dismayed by the announcement and realized that might've been why the woman was prone to such disastrous accidents. She felt sorry for the woman and told herself to help look out for the red head more often. She turned her attention to Sebastian to see him kick the last box up to join with the other four. Again, she was impressed with his antics and found herself wondering. Was he really just a butler?

"Now, we don't have to worry about the key players," Sebastian announced.

Finny and Bard exited from the kitchen while Mey Rin joined Lydia's side. Sebastian smiled and his eyes crinkled at the expression. It would've been endearing if Lydia didn't notice how fake the expression was. She frowned.

"Good work," he praised and Lydia could hear the false emotion behind those words as well. "Leave the rest to me and take a break. I ask that you behave very very well."

With that, he walked off and Lydia wondered what he meant by "behave". She turned to the others and was surprised to see Mey Rin was in a daze. The woman's cheeks were still bright red as ever and Lydia found it amusing. She waved a hand before the woman's face but received no response.

"Mey Rin?" she questioned.

"Y-yes!" Mey Rin replied when she snapped out of her daze. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, Miss Lydia!"

"Are you all right?" Lydia asked.

"I'm f-fine, yes!" Mey Rin answered.

The woman scurried away mumbling something about being in such close vicinity. Confused, Lydia wondered what the woman was mumbling about. She was startled when a cool cloth was held to her forehead and turned to find Finny smiling shyly at her. He proceeded to wipe her face down with the cloth.

"You look tired, Miss Lydia," he noted and held the cloth out to her. "I just thought you could use some refreshing up."

Lydia's heart clenched at the endearing gesture and she smiled genuinely as she took the cloth.

"How thoughtful of you, Finny," she stated. "Thank you."

Finny nodded and smiled brightly, making Lydia think her younger brother would act the same if she'd had one.

*/*\\*

Lydia hadn't realized just how tired she was until she slipped into her room to see her bed. Leaving only her unbuttoned blouse on, she gave out a sigh of relief as she collapsed onto her bed. The day had brought tiring events and Mey Rin must've noticed because the woman had told Lydia she could retire for the night and the red head would handle the rest of the work. Lydia found herself wondering how Mey Rin managed to handle all of the maid's work alone. Especially with such a klutzy behavior and how she always somehow got herself into more disasters. Lydia shuddered at the memories of what she'd experienced just that day.

Earlier, she'd found Mey Rin supposedly polishing the banister in the main hall. Only to find out the woman was using shoeshine rather than polisher. She'd had to remedy the situation by wiping down the banister undoing all of the maid's work. Then, they'd gone to wash the linens and left to air some rooms. By the time they'd returned, Lydia was dismayed to find the washing machine had overflowed with sudsy bubbles. Mey Rin had squealed in horror as she rushed in to remedy the disaster and Lydia discovered the maid had put in too much detergent, giving 60 scoops instead of the instructed two.

Not to mention the near disaster during a dinner that almost would've been uneventful if it hadn't been for Mey Rin's sudden skittery behavior. Thinking back on it now, Lydia noted the woman had been fine until Sebastian had stepped up to whisper into her ear. She frowned in thought and wondered if—perhaps—the woman liked the butler. Because of Mey Rin's shaky hands, she'd spilled the wine and everyone had watched on in horror as it soaked into the tablecloth. Sebastian had saved the day by pulling the tablecloth out from under the plates to prevent the mess from worsening. Lydia had been thoroughly impressed by Sebastian's antic and figured he probably was as he'd described earlier to Mr. Damiano.

I'm simply one hell of a butler…

A loud scream interrupted Lydia's thoughts and she wondered what was going on. Getting to her feet, she quickly slipped on her pants and hurried to find the source. As she entered the main hall, she didn't see anyone except for Mey Rin who stood on the other side. The woman appeared to be mumbling to herself again. With a smile, Lydia went to join her side and startled the woman.

"Oh! I didn't see you there, Miss Lydia," the woman noted.

Lydia noticed how Mey Rin's cheeks were bright red and wondered if she'd been thinking about Sebastian.

"Mey Rin, can I ask you something?" she questioned.

"Of course, Miss Lydia," the red head replied. "Anything."

"Do you like Sebastian?"

With how her cheeks flamed up even more, Lydia didn't need a verbal response to know she'd been correct. Although she had no idea what Mey Rin saw in the mysterious butler, she knew people did have their own tastes in men and decided to leave it at that. Sebastian was a fine looking man but she would never allow herself to admit it and never out loud. She smiled and shook her head when the woman still hadn't answered.

"You don't have to answer that, Mey Rin," she stated. "I was just curious…especially since you get so embarrassed whenever he's in close vicinity with you." Although Lydia didn't think it was possible, the red head blushed even more and Lydia found it amusing. "Don't worry, Mey Rin; your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, Miss Lydia," Mey Rin replied. "I suppose I need to do better to hide my emotions." She gained a fanciful look and Lydia realized the woman was now daydreaming. "It's just…he's such a fine man." She dazed off and Lydia struggled to keep her laughter back. "Oh, how shameful; I'm such a lecherous maid!"

The exclamation took Lydia by surprise and she stepped back to avoid getting hit by the woman who was flailing her arms along with the bucket in her hand. She abruptly stopped flailing and Lydia saw the bucket had detached from the handle. They heard a loud pain-filled scream along with the evident sound of someone tumbling down the stairs. They both went to see Mr. Damiano collapsed at the bottom of the stairs.

"A-are you all right?" Mey Rin called as she rushed forward to help the man only to pause and back away. "His…his leg is twisted the wrong way!"

Finny and Bard entered the hall carrying the picture that Lydia vaguely remembered had hung at the top of the hall stairs.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bard called.

"O-our guest…" Mey Rin struggled to explain.

Lydia moved forward and gasped when she saw that—indeed—the man's leg was twisted the wrong way. The sight made Lydia's stomach clench with disgust. She, however, shoved down the wave and moved to help the man. He came out of his wave of pain when she touched his shoulder only to slap her hand away as he cried out in horror. She noticed he was staring at the picture Finny and Bard were carrying before he struggled to crawl away.

"S-sir?" Mey Rin called after the man.

Lydia hurried after Mr. Damiano in hopes to help the man and wondered what it was that spooked him. She followed him all the way to the servant quarters but couldn't find him when she arrived in the kitchen hallway. She did, however, find Sebastian who turned to look at her as she approached. She figured she had no choice but to report to him of Mr. Damiano's situation.

"Um…the guest was injured and I believe he crawled this way," she announced and realized how crazy she must've sounded. "Have you seen him?"

"You may retire for the night, Lydia," Sebastian announced. "I will take care of our guest."

"But—"

"That is an order."

Lydia huffed with disapproval and placed her hands on her hips.

"I don't take lightly to being ordered around like a dog," she stated.

Sebastian's eyes seemed to rove over her figure and she felt violated even though he hadn't even done anything.

"I do not believe you will be of much help with the guest, Lydia," he replied. "Especially when you are dressed in such a disheveled manner."

Lydia looked down at her attire only to realize she hadn't buttoned her blouse which had left her bosom exposed for the world to see. Thank goodness she had worn her tank top. She hurriedly buttoned up the shirt and eyed Sebastian to see a slight smirk teasing the man's lips. She found herself enraged that the man would find such amusement in her misfortune. At the same time, she wanted to get away from him as far as possible.

"Fine!" she exclaimed as she gritted her teeth. "Go and take care of the guest! See if I ever decide to help again!"

With that, she turned on her heels and hurried back to her room unaware of the reddish eyes that turned an eerie pink as they stared after her.

\---

Author's Note: All right, here we go! ^^ If readers have noticed, Tanaka doesn't ever go into a chibi form because it has been decided that this story will try to be as realistically possible when pertaining to chibi forms and whatnot. SoOo, instead of going into his chibi form due to lack of heat energy, Tanaka will fall asleep! Thanks for reading and—until the next chapter! =)


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